Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK F. WHEELER, OF WAUPAOA, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 183,353, dated October 17, 1876; application filed August 14, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK F. WHEEL- ER, of the city and county of Waupaca, State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Self Oar-Coupler, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

The object of my invention is to form a self car-coupler, and at the same time do away with pins and links in coupling cars.

In place of pins, I use solid blocks of iron, as represented by letter A, with a notch at the bottom, a, and a knob, 12, at the top, and in place of links I use a solid bar of iron, as represented by B, with shoulders or heads 0, d, and c. When the car is in readiness for coupling, the iron block A is held in position by means of an iron roller, (J, which moves in inclined slots F on each side of the draw-bar or bumper, the iron bar being held in place by block A, with the notch a at the bottom, which shuts down over the bar between the shoulders 01 and c, keeping the bar B sufficiently stationary for coupling, all as shown in Figure 1. When coupling, the shoulder or head 0 at the end of bar B strikes the roller 0 under block A, driving it back in the slots F, causing the block A to instantly drop down, with the notch a over the bar B in front of the shoulder or head 0, when it at once self-couples, leaving at the same time sufficient play between the cars.

In uncoupling, raise the block A by taking holdof knob b from off the bar B; draw the bar backward from under the block, when the roller 0 will of itself move forward in .slots F, and take its position under block A, leaving it ready for recoupling, if desired. The iron bar B is finished with a hole, g, between the shoulders or heads d and e, sufficiently large to be attached to any coupler using the common link and pin, thereby allowing it to be coupled with any car using those couplers.

The block A, the bar B, and roller 0 are so made and applied as not to be likely to become displaced while in ordinary use; but, in case of an accident by a car overturning, it instantly uncouples. The bar B is soconstructed from the shoulder 01 to c as to raise the point at the shoulder c, which more readily and correctly, when coupling, strikes the roller 0, and makesit more sure to couple in case of an ordinary variation of the position of the draw-bars or bumpers.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of block A, iron bar B, and roller (3, revolving in inclined slots F, all constructed substantially as and for the purpose described.

' FREDERICK F. WHEELER. Witnesses:

EDWARD L. BRowNE, ELISHA L. BUMP. 

